Updates for AM Transmitting Antennas & Grounding

Spring time is antenna time. Better weather and more daylight gives us the chance to get out and play with our skyhooks. In honor of Spring, here is all the information I have handy on transmitting antennas and transmitter ground systems for the medium wave AM band. As always, be extremely careful of overhead and underground (call before you dig!) power lines and watch your step on that ladder...

AM Transmitting Antenna Articles

• Basic Construction of an LP AM Vertical Antenna from North Country Radio
• Construction of a Vertical Antenna for Part 15 AM Broadcast Use from North Country Radio
• Variometer Loading Coils for LP AM Operation from North Country Radio
• MRAM 1500's Antenna Story
• A.M. Broadcast Antennas by W5CDT
• How to Construct an Antenna for 1700kHz AM

AM Transmitter Antenna Handbooks and Manuals

• Medium Frequency Antenna Construction Plans
• Excel spreadsheet Antennacalc.xls for use with 'Medium Frequency Antenna Construction Plans' above
• The MWA Antenna Book
• The Big Antenna Book, includes Carrier Current Tuning info
• Antenna Section of Kyle Drake's Low Power AM Broadcaster's Handbook

AM Transmitter Ground Systems

• Map of Effective Ground Conductivity in the USA from the FCC
• Good Ground is Hard to Find
• Grounding methodology
• Why a Groundplane is Important, How It Works & Is Installed
• Grounding in RF Environments
• The How Big, How Long and How Many of Ground Radials

Now you have the info - build it and they will listen - well, maybe...